The MVP Of The Defense? The Defense

This time of year everyone wants to talk about who deserves what awards, and many debates arise. For the Bears, the MVP of the defense is simple…it’s the defense.

“The defense. Yeah, it’s the defense,” defensive coordinator, Rod Marinelli said when asked who he thought the MVP of the defense was. “It’s a bunch of men together, collectively, working together. It’s something that’s really neat.”

Despite the fact that three members of the Bears’ defense were named to the Pro-Bowl, Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs and Julius Peppers, the defense looks at themselves as one collective unit. Each player has a role to play and a job to do, without every player doing what is demanded from them, the defense gets nowhere.

“In sports it’s hard to get,” Marinelli said, “but when everybody is disciplined and everybody is doing their job, sometimes you have to give up an opportunity to make a play, so a teammate can make one. And that’s what makes it special. These guys are willing to do that.”

The defense gets its personality and approach from their head coach. For Lovie Smith, the goals for the season and the points of evaluation are simple.

“It’s about winning,” Marinelli said. “It’s about team. It’s about effort and accountability, coaches and players together. And that’s what really makes this whole thing special to be around.”

As special as this season, and defense, has been so far, it would become really special if the defense could be named the MVP of a game in Dallas.